That was the take home at 5 years from the SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery) trial reported during a twilight session at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics meeting.

Cohen estimated that the U.S. spends roughly $15 billion for surgery or stenting of coronary artery disease.

For example, in SYNTAX each stent cost about $1,500 and each patient received four to five stents, thus the procedural costs for stenting were higher than the procedural costs for surgery: $11,919 ± $6,162 versus $8,504± $1,972.

But surgery required a longer hospitalization and had a higher rate of early complications (including a higher early stroke rate) so the out-the-door cost for CABG was significantly higher -- $33,190, which was $10,036 more than the total bill for stent patients (P<0.001).

At 5 years, looking at cost alone, the numbers still favored stenting, but the difference had narrowed to $5,619 because stented patients were more likely to require repeat procedures.